Trump Remarks on Talks with Maduro Amid Terrorist Designation
President Trump indicated on Sunday night that discussions with Venezuela’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, could be on the table, noting that Maduro is open to dialogue.
This statement came shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed plans to classify the Cartel de los Soles (Suns Cartel) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), claiming Maduro is its leader.
A reporter challenged Trump as he was heading from Palm Beach International Airport to Washington, asking if this designation would allow the U.S. to target Maduro’s assets in Venezuela. Trump responded, “It’s possible, but we’re not saying we’re going to do it. We may have talks with Mr. Maduro, but we’ll see how it goes. They want talks.”
Earlier in the day, Rubio expressed intentions to officially designate the Cartel de los Soles as an FTO starting November 24, 2025.
The statement from the State Department outlined that the Cartel de los Soles, led by Maduro and other top officials from his regime, contributes to corruption in Venezuela’s military and government institutions. It indicated that neither Maduro nor his associates represent the legitimate Venezuelan government and highlighted the cartel’s role in drug trafficking and violence across the hemisphere.
The U.S. aims to leverage all available options to protect its national interests and cut off resources to narco-terrorists.
In August, the State Department announced a reward of up to $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, increasing from $25 million early in the year. Additionally, in July, the Treasury Department had designated the Cartel de los Soles as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
When asked in October about possible contacts between Maduro’s team and the U.S. administration, Trump commented that Maduro had sacrificed everything to maintain his grip on power, reiterating that Maduro prefers to avoid relations with the U.S.
According to the organized crime research group Insight Crime, the Cartel de los Soles has been trafficking drugs through Venezuela’s military since the era of the late Hugo Chávez, who passed away in 2013.
